Secularism: Montreal City Hall to remove welcome poster that includes veiled woman

OTTAWA – Former senator Mobina Jaffer says she was told by the Sudanese intelligence director that he felt Canadian officials had asked him to detain Montreal man Abousfian Abdelrazik.

Jaffer, who retired from the Senate earlier this year, testified today in Federal Court in Abdelrazik’s lawsuit against Ottawa over his detention and alleged torture in Sudanese custody two decades ago.

She recalled her September 2004 meeting in Sudan with Salah Gosh, who was then the director of the country’s intelligence service.

Jaffer, Canada’s special envoy for peace in Sudan at the time, said Gosh told her Canada thought Abdelrazik was a terrorist and wanted him to find out if he was indeed an extremist.

She said Gosh informed her Sudanese intelligence tried “all kinds of ways” to find out, but was completely satisfied he was not a terrorist, and that it was time for Canada to take him back.

Jaffer said it was no secret the intelligence service used brutal methods, so she immediately knew that Abdelrazik did not have a pleasant experience in custody.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

MONTREAL – The Parti Québécois says it would lean on robots and automation to replace temporary workers as part of a detailed proposal to cut immigration to Quebec.

Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says it’s a lie that immigration can fix labour shortages, adding that Quebec should instead follow the lead of countries like Japan and China that have invested heavily in robotics and artificial intelligence.

The sovereigntist opposition party wants to cut the number of non-permanent residents in the province to 250,000 or 300,000, down from 600,000 today.

In a policy paper published this morning, the party says it would create a special fund for the automation of sectors affected by labour shortages, including manufacturing and retail.

St-Pierre Plamondon says Quebec’s existing immigration system puts pressure on housing and threatens the French language, and he also wants to cut the number of permanent immigrants to Quebec to 35,000 from 50,000 annually.

The PQ leader says Quebec will only attain a viable immigration model if the province achieves independence from Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

OTTAWA – A Federal Court hearing is underway today to determine whether a group of Black public servants can proceed with a class-action lawsuit against Canada for discrimination.

The certification hearing began this morning in Toronto and could last up to 12 days.

The class-action is made up of some 45,000 Black workers and applicants who worked for the government, dating back to 1970.

The plaintiffs allege widespread discrimination in the public service, citing reports of anti-Black racism at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and an internal report on discrimination at the Privy Council Office.

They say that Black public servants have been systematically denied opportunities for hiring and promotion due to their race, and that there is a hostile work environment and underrepresentation of Black employees in senior roles.

Canada has said the plaintiffs could have brought individual concerns to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, while ministers have said their government remains committed to removing barriers and ensuring Black employees have every opportunity to succeed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.